Frank Zappa & the Astral Plane

Did Frank Zappa consult mediums?
What does a medium say about Zappa’s music, life and the Big Note.
Is it possible to speak to Zappa beyond the grave?

Bob Dobbs, Ben Watson and special guest iON “the Non-Physical” debate the notion of exploring Frank Zappa from the “other side”.

Bob Dobbs is a McLuhan Scholar and Zappa researcher.
Ben Watson is a music writer and author of Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play.

Recorded September 2, 2009

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:35 – Post-mortem interviews
Bob & Ben discuss speaking with the deceased Frank Zappa through a medium.

00:04:26 – iON – The Non-Physical
Bob invites a new medium, iON, to participate, suggesting that they can speak with not only Zappa but other historical figures like Karl Marx and Marshall McLuhan.

00:05:02 – Skepticism vs. Belief
Ben challenges the concept of communicating with the dead. iON counters with the idea of eternal, non-physical existence beyond the physical body.

00:10:00 – Language Connects to the Past
How the evolution of language connects the living to the historical collective consciousness.

00:15:02 – Creativity and Perception
Contemplating creativity and perception. iON claims some ESP by describing Ben’s drawings.

00:18:10 – Autonomy and Control
Ben asserts his belief in self-organizing matter and opposes the notion that an external entity or soul is necessary for life and consciousness.

00:20:00 – Physical vs. Non-Physical
iON presents a tripartite model of human experience comprising the physical, non-physical, and the mind. Ben insists that the physical is self-sufficient, negating the need for a non-physical aspect to induce motion or life.

00:25:01 – Materialism vs. Dualism
Ben advocates for a materialist perspective that does not require supernatural explanations. iON emphasizes the importance of understanding and engaging with the non-physical aspects.

00:29:44 – Asserting Beliefs vs Asking Questions
Speakers debate the value of asserting beliefs versus asking questions.

00:33:26 – Science and its Critiques
The role of science and the empirical method, with critiques of how much science is influenced by Christian metaphysics and historical figures like Descartes.

00:37:25 – Genius and Schizophrenia
The thin line between genius and schizophrenia, particularly in modern art, and whether societal norms have a role in categorizing unconventional ideas as nonsense.

00:40:13 – Zappa’s Use of Mediums
iON says Franks Zappa consulted mediums, and explains why he did.
Frank Zappa, and his disapproval of fame, his engagement with mediums, and his desire for his music to question societal norms.

00:42:33 – Zappa’s Struggle to Unify the Big Note
Why Zappa was unhappy with his music. His struggle to unify the ‘Big Note’.
The “Zappa Era”.